Ohca
The Ohca is a Japanese 6.5×9cm plate folder made from 1935 by Rokuoh-sha, the manufacturing branch of Konishiroku. Name The name which appears on at least some cameras is Ohca. It is spelled "Ohka" in various sources, See e.g. , items 1149–50, or , p.543. either by mistake or because it appears as such on other examples. This name is usually written in katakana script (オーカ) in the original documents; at least one leaflet confirms that it comes from the word 桜花 in kanji script, meaning "cherry blossom". Leaflet reproduced in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. The name would later be used for the 1945 suicide plane, but this is the same oh character as that in Rokuoh-sha, and the company had long used both sakura (the other reading of the same character) and "cherry" to name its products. Description The Ohca has a metal body, similar to that of the Idea (1933). It is easily distinguished by its focusing worm screw on the photographer's right. The bellows has true double extension. The distance scale is on the left of the focus rails, and there is sometimes a depth-of-field table on the camera's left side. There is brilliant finder atop the front standard, and a wireframe finder on the left. The camera has limited vertical movement ability. On at least some cameras, the name is inscribed as Ohca on an oval plate riveted inside the folding bed between the focus rails. Lens and shutter The Ohca was offered with either an Apus (T, B, 25–100) or a Durax (T, B, 1–125) dial-set shutter, and a Rokuoh-sha Optor Anastigmat 10.5cm lens in either f/6.3 or f/4.5 aperture. , p.334. (Despite the Rokuoh-sha engraving on the lens rim, the Optor lenses were supplied by Asahi Kōgaku.) Surviving examples are confirmed with the Optor f/6.3 and the Apus or Durax. Apus, Optor f/6.3: example pictured in , item 1149, and example observed in an online auction. Durax, Optor f/6.3: example pictured in Tanaka, p.41 of no.10. The depth-of-field table on the side has the lens name Optor Anas't 10.5c.m and the word 焦点震度表 (meaning "depth-of-field table"). Examples are also known with a Durax shutter and a Rodenstock-Trinar-Anastigmat f/4.5 lens, and perhaps no depth-of-field table. Example pictured in , item 1150, and in Kamera no ayumi, p.84, belonging to the Pentax Gallery and showing no depth-of-field table, and example pictured in this page at Asacame. The markings on the lens rim do not display the focal length but 2¼×3¼ instead, indicating the intended format in inches. Commercial life The Ohca was advertised from November 1935 and was featured in the December 1935 issue of . , p.334. Advertisements dated December 1935, September 1936 and February 1937 all give the same prices of with an f/6.3 lens and with an f/4.5. Advertisement in Photo Times December 1935 reproduced in , p.82. Advertisement in September 1936 reproduced in the same, p.60. Advertisement in Kogata Camera February 1937 reproduced in the same, p.82. The last reported advertisement is in May 1939; it gives the prices as with an f/6.3 lens and with an f/4.5, both with a Durax shutter. Advertisement reproduced in , p.82. It is the last advertisement listed in this source, p.334. This advertisement also says that brown or green leather covering was available for ¥2 extra. The official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941 still has an Ohca I (¥43), Ohca II (¥52) and Ohca III (¥54), with no further detail. , type 8, sections 1, 2 and 4A. Notes Bibliography * Item 31. (See also the advertisements for items 167 and 170–1.) * P.84. * Type 8, sections 1, 2 and 4A. * P.182 (about the Optor lenses only). * P.543. * Item 1149–50. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 5. Shōwa 8-nen – 20-nen." (Konica history 5. 昭和8年–20年. From Shōwa year 8 (1933) to Shōwa year 20 (1945).) Pp.40–4. Links In Japanese: * Ohca at Asacame * Pages of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website: ** Ohca, including the reproduction of an original leaflet (click to enlarge) ** Ohca in the camera list Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding Category: O Category: 1935